1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of athletic hand gloves and more particularly to goalie hand gloves used in the sports of ice hockey, field hockey, floor hockey and in-line skating hockey.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97-1.99
Athletic gloves worn for the protection of the user's hands or for catching propelled objects in various sporting activities are well known. Typically, in certain sporting activities such as ice hockey, field hockey, floor hockey and in-line skating hockey the primary objective of a goalkeeper is to prevent the passage of an object shot by the opposing team from entering into a goal. In one hand the goalkeeper carries a stick which is used for blocking of a shot object, such as a puck or a ball. Furthermore, the goalkeeper also uses his stick to pass the puck or ball to a teammate or to shoot the object into a particular area on the playing surface away from the opposition. The goalkeeper wears on his other hand a special type of glove, commonly called a mitt, for catching a flying puck or ball, thereby preventing it from entering the goal. Mitts have a small thumb pocket, a large finger pocket and a webbing or catching pocket area disposed therebetween.
Even though these known goalkeeper mitts provide a satisfactory means for catching a propelled object, their shape makes it extremely difficult to obtain a strong grip on the stick when passing or shooting the object such as a puck or ball or the like. Disadvantageously, the goalkeeper is not able to make controlled passes to teammates. Moreover, since the goalkeeper has a poor grip on the stick, the goalkeeper can shoot the object with only a small amount of force. This generally limits the goalkeeper to making only short passes and thus effects the goalkeeper's ability to clear the object far away from the goal when under attack from the opposing team. Additionally, the goalkeeper generally plays an insignificant part in his or her team's offense since he or she is unable to make controlled passes over a long distance.
Attempts have been made to improve the goalkeeper's ability to obtain a firm grip on the stick. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,418 to Marcotte, a hockey goalkeeper glove has a gripping portion placed on the outside of the glove to enable the goalkeeper to grasp the handle of a goalie stick. If the goalkeeper desires to grip the stick, in Martorre, he or she must remove his or her fingers from a finger pocket and insert them through an opening into a gripping pocket. The stick must be inserted between the collapsed finger pocket when attempting to control the stick. The goalkeeper must move his or her fingers again through the opening upon return to catching position. Disadvantageously, in Martorre the goalkeeper could have great difficulty in attempting to make a save with the glove if his or her hand is located outside the glove in the grasping pocket. Moreover, the stick cannot be instantly grasped since the goalkeeper must take the time to reposition his or her fingers into remote compartments. Furthermore, in Marcotte, the stick is held near the tips of the fingers and thumb and not in the palm of the goalkeeper's hand, thereby providing only a modest grasp of the stick.
Extension pouches are known to be on the glove of a goalkeeper which enhance the catching capabilities and trapping capabilities of the goalkeeper. These known extension pouches form an increased catching surface area of the glove since the extension pouch is an expanded region of the webbing. Generally, the extension pouch expands slightly upwardly and outwardly from the catching region in a hooked or curved manner thereby reaching a top point in order to maximize the catching coverage. Additionally, the slightly angled configuration of the extension pouch enables the puck or ball to be entirely encased when it is trapped on the playing surface by the goalkeeper. However, none of these conventional goalkeeper gloves are known to have a means for moving the extension pouch from a collapsed to a fully deployed position. Disadvantageously, by not being in a fully expanded or deployed position, the glove will not be able to cover the maximum catching region. When the extension pouch is deployed, the goalkeeper's ability to catch and trap is enhanced. When the extension pouch is in a collapsed position, the goalkeeper's ability to grasp a game stick is enhanced.